“Grapes coming out of the Coachella Valley are the only U.S. grapes available from May to July 4,” said Joseph Tudor, vice president of the Mecca, CA-based company. “Trucks don’t have to run down to Nogales and deal with multiple warehouse, poor information, long wait times—sometimes overnight. We are two hours from Los Angeles and right off the 10 Freeway heading east to the rest of the U.S. There are also multiple commodities coming out of the valley, which helps when customers are building their loads.”
The big news for Tudor Ranch in 2024 has been production on two new varieties—Torch, an early red seedless grape and Karizma, an early tropical grape.
Tudor Ranch strives to ensure that all of its produce is grown using the safest practices and highest quality inputs available.
“We work with the USDA and the Farm Service Agency to promote and implement farming practices that increase efficiencies, while simultaneously protecting our natural resources and the environment,” Tudor said. “We sell grocery stores, wholesalers and exporters. The secret to strong relationships is honesty. When we confirm a PO, we do everything we can to make sure we deliver the best product to our customers.”
Last season was later than normal, but Tudor Ranch did come into a very hot market due to the lack of fruit from the tail end of the Chilean season. That trend looks to continue this season with the Chilean volume looking to wind down just before Coachella gets going.
“The season is on time,” Tudor said. “We plan to start harvest the week of May 13, with volume by the end of that week. Mother Nature will ultimately have a say with that timing, but that is what it looks like right now. We are excited to have some new varieties this season and look forward to feedback from our customers and ultimately the consumer.”
The major issue the company is dealing with today is the increase in costs across the board, something being felt by all growers in the Coachella Valley.
“Our biggest challenge is costs of course,” Tudor said. “There is not one single part of the business that gets cheaper each year. Another challenge for the grower is retail consolidation. There are fewer customers to sell as the smaller stores keep getting gobbled up by bigger companies.”
With a strong and long legacy in the business, Tudor Ranch will continue doing what it has for so many years to ensure that its customers are happy.
